Discussions

Hello all,  
 
This might be a long post but I have been struggling with work to life balance. To start this off, I am definitely a hard worker and high achiever. I always do my best and put my all into my career. I do enjoy my job. Lately I have been over worked, over stressed, and under compensated.  
 
In the last year, 4 of my peers at my workplace have gone on stress leave, each a different amount of time off, but that just goes to show I am not the only one affected.  
 
With the way the world is today, everyone knows that the newer generation in the work force has a large lack of understanding of responsibility, job duties, work ethic. It is causing the older generations or someone higher on the totem pole to work harder for the younger individuals lack of care. Of course also with the way the world is going, there cannot be any discipline because often times parents will contact managers and complain that Sally was trying her best and we cannot take her down a disciplinary route or they will go to Manitoba Standards. Trust me this has happened many times, but also how do you discipline adolescents in the work place when 9/10 of them do not properly perform.  
 
Like previously stated, I have had to step my workload up almost everyday because of the lack of care from younger employees. Will this always happen? Sure. They are young, are in school all day and are learning about having the responsibility of a job. But never in all my years has it been this BAD. Constant sick calls (from young and old employees), constant no shows, and constantly job duties not being done what so ever while clocked in. Now if I was being compensated I would be more okay with this situation, but because I am salaried I do not get over time nor do I get banked time. I am simply working 10 hour days 6 or 7 days a week and being reimbursed only for my salary 40 hours.  
 
For those of you that might be thinking, well if you have no shows or sick calls often you must be not nice to work for. I would like to say I am a liked leader, I am fair and I am extremely positive in my workplace. I often see on social media online that influencers are encouraging the younger generation to not put in the effort, do the bare minimum, use your sick time every month, etc. These are very unhealthy habits for these young individuals, but they need to realize that being not honest and using those resources and not performing correctly Day to day are eventually going to bite them back in the behind! Not to mention the physical and mental toll it has on other co workers that have to pick up the pace for them day in and day out, when they wouldn’t do the same!  
 
I guess what I am searching for here, is does anyone feel the same way? Has the younger generation at your workplace gone down hill and you are having the same situations that I am in? Also, does anyone know if there is anything that can be done about all the over time put into my workplace and if me not being compensated for my OT can be an employment standards issue?

Sorry to hear you are feeling this way. I think you are definitely not alone with all the thoughts going on in your head. I do know for myself that I need to work a job where I'm alone or atleast have my own duties different from others around me. That way I can tune out everything going on around me. Maybe it's time to move on?  
 
But to answer your question can you in a calm manner express your concerns to the manager/boss/whomever it is responsible for this mess? Let them know your concerns before you explode! Nobody takes a crying or yelling staff member too seriously. Unfortunately most people wait too long, crack and do just that. If he or she does nothing atleast you can feel comfortable knowing you tried before you move on.  
 
And don't think you can't get another job. There are several in Brandon. Just look at the classified section.

A family member in SK is dealing with this. They are a supervisor, salary paid. Has been working weeks upon weeks without a full day off. The longest stretch was 31 days I think they said. Always having to cover for staff plus do their own job. Head Management knows and the solution was to bring someone in from another province to cover my family member for a few days off. This has been going on for months. Staff are just not reliable and my family member doesn’t know what to do. They have been looking for other places of employment but nothing pays what they need to live off  
 
Sorry you’re in the same boat!! I hope something changes for you soon

I was working for a very big company. Was in supervisor/manager roll. I was so frustrated that I worked sooooo hard and it was like a marry go round as I was always playing catch-up certain people never pulled there weight… I am a very diligent worker, and I transformed my workplace. Another supervisor who was in the same position, different department was in the same feeling as me - younger staff was just not having motivation, no desire to preform to their utmost , it was just nonsense. And the staff who actually worked had to constantly pick up the slack and work 3x as hard…. Sooo many ropes to jump to get any type of discipline, and still there was practically none at all…… I was so frustrated because I LOVED my job… and loved 70% of the people I worked with… but those few bad apples ruined the bunch…. I was doing the 31 days straight type of thing….I ended up quitting for other reasons. I loved the work, was good at it, but boy was it hard with the slackers. Especially when there is literally nothing you can do about it. And if you complain, you are seen as rocking the boat…. No advice for you , sorry… however it does seem like this exact situation happens in every workplace- if that’s any consolation lol  
 
Edited by LonelyStar, 2023-06-12 21:02:05

Yet there seems to be little accountability to the people who are raising this so-called younger generation that "slacks off" and shaping the world that they are going to live in.  
 
I don't doubt that there are some slackers in your workplace, but I am certainly sure that it's not exclusively the "youths" that are slacking off. However, you say yourself that you won't discipline these workers because you're afraid of their parents who you owe nothing to. What responsibility do you have to said parents? As long as the action you take is actually fair and warranted then you are protected. Not disciplining them is also enabling them to continue slacking off. Many of the things that you are complaining about (sick calls, no-shows, lack of discipline) are indeed within your realm of control, it just seems that you are not comfortable enforcing them.  
 
Most management (at least as I'm aware of in retail) tends to be salaried. A salaried position is a proven way for companies to wring more work out of you without compensating you properly for that time/effort. I don't really see a way out unless you yourself start setting boundaries around how much time you are spending at work, or you find a different job.

I agree that it isn’t just youth - this was a total oversight in my post and I can see how it comes across that way. In my current employment it seems the older ones are slacking more than the younger (I edited this out by accident on my post)…  
 
However point remains the same - workers not working but nothing able to be done about it…. I see most problems in unionized workplace ?

Just a theory but here goes. Not directed at the original poster. It's just a generalized "you" I'm talking about.  
 
If your parents gave you nothing and you had to work for everything, you have the tendency to give your own children everything and they work for very little. Parents get very used to picking up the slack. (paying the bills, making the meals, solving the problems) So the generation who worked for everything will continue to work so that everyone is cared for and looked after. And if you let your kids struggle, you feel like a failure yourself because you didn't provide enough for them.  
The same tendencies carry over into the workplace. The caregiver in the equation keeps trying to make everything go smoothly regardless of their role in the organization.

Same boat.  
 
Part of the management team (as I am constantly reminded of), and wear so many hats at work, but no time to complete my own tasks as I am having to pick up the slack from the regular emoloyees.  
 
I have asked for a reduction in workload if they are going to have me cover for other individuals, as causing stress and concern for myself, as I really like to do a good job, yet I do not have the time because of all the hats. Instead of reducing my workload, they have added more.  
 
HR is a joke, because concerns that I have brought to thrm have never been fixed, so I have given up on that route.  
 
In my workplace, I have found that it is all over the place on who slacks off, from younger generation, to my own generation and even the older. But there is no discipline here, because the owners want to make sure the work place is a friendly place.  
 
I am in the process of looking for another job, which is sad because I have worked here for over a decacde.

I, too, used to be a supervisor in my previous employment. I had 2...one used every excuse to not be at work and the other, although had great attendance, did the bare minimum. Today I am lucky to be in an entry level position with a young colleague who is smart, skilled, punctual and has the best work ethic I've seen in years in the younger generation. I do believe that we are headed for trouble with this younger generation as they grow older.

I had the same issues working with much younger employees. I was the "older adult" on the job. I had to constantly work the late shift till 11pm even though shifts were supposed to be rotated. The younger workers had the day off if it was their birthday, or to go to the Pickle Festival. This left me covering the shifts.  
It didn't take long for me to get fed up. Also, being the older adult somehow translated into me babysitting the younger ones during work hours. They wouldn't move unless I told them what to do and when. It was as if they were listening to "mom" at home. They couldn't or wouldn't do any work on their own without being told to do so.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and understand that you're feeling overworked and underappreciated, which is indeed a serious issue. However, I would like to respectfully challenge some of the assumptions you've presented.  
 
Firstly, it's not fair to categorize the entire younger generation as lacking understanding of responsibility, job duties, or work ethic. Like any group, they are diverse, with varying attitudes, skills, and work habits. We must remember that each generation has its own challenges and strengths and there are always exceptional individuals among them. Just as there are young workers who may not perform up to standards, there are also many who excel in their roles and have innovative ideas to contribute.  
 
It seems there is a systemic issue at your workplace, evident by the frequent sick calls and high stress levels. This might be due to the work culture, lack of motivation, or ineffective management strategies rather than the fault of any particular age group.  
 
There's also a notable shift in societal values. The younger generation prioritizes work-life balance more than previous generations. This doesn't mean they're irresponsible or lazy, but they might not respond well to environments where overwork is normalized. In fact, research suggests that overworking often leads to decreased productivity over time.  
 
As for the advice given by influencers to "do the bare minimum", it's essential to consider the context. Often, this advice is geared towards combatting exploitative work practices, promoting mental health, and encouraging a balanced life. It's not an encouragement for habitual negligence.  
 
Regarding overtime, it's essential to know your rights as an employee. This will depend on your location and specific employment contract, but in most cases, excessive unpaid overtime is not acceptable. If you're consistently working beyond your contracted hours, it might be worth discussing this issue with your management, HR, or seeking advice from an employment law professional.  
 
I'd also like to point out that developing strategies to manage, motivate, and retain employees of all ages is a crucial part of leadership. Instead of taking on all the work yourself, it might be worth investing time in training and mentoring your younger colleagues to bring them up to speed.  
 
Lastly, the situation you described, particularly the stress you're under, is a significant concern. Remember to take care of your mental health and seek professional help if needed.  
 
Please remember, we're all in this together, and mutual understanding, respect, and effective communication can go a long way in improving any workplace situation.